• Madonna's most recent effort to change hearts and minds in Malawi: She pleaded her case in a letter to the country's Nation newspaper, writing that she wants to provide Mercy "with a home, a loving family environment and the best education and health care possible." [Us, NYP]
• Madonna may want to take a cue from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: The couple had their adoption request turned down by Bhutan recently, but they're now moving on to the Philippines, according to Britain's Daily Mail. [NYDN]
• Kipton Cronkite's life appears to be headed downhill: The art world scenester has lost his job and apartment, and he's living rent-free with a rich teenager on the Lower East Side. [P6]
• Ruth Madoff will have to find a new stylist: She's been banned from the Pierre Michel Salon "out of respect for the salon's other customers." [P6]
• Lindsay Lohan's mental condition isn't improving: Friends now say she "barely sleeps" anymore, and she "can't even sit down for a minute without pacing around the room." [People]

• Looks like you won't see Whitney Port pretending to work at DVF next season on The City. She's been spotted filming scenes for the second season at her old office at Kelly Cutrone's People's Revolution. [P6]
• Because she'll do anything to promote her TV show and sell her book, "Real Housewife" Bethenny Frankel is supposedly dating Alex Rodriguez and was spotted with him having dinner in Miami on Saturday night. [NYDN]
• The mystery "Ethiopian woman" dating LuAnn de Lesseps's husband has an even more impressive title: Princess Kemeria Abajobir Abajifar. [NYDN]
• Rumor has it Chris Brown has moved on from Rihanna and is now dating an ex-girlfriend who is a student at the University of Mary Washington. [NYDN]
• Kim Cattrall and her 29-year-old boyfriend, chef Alan Wyse, are reportedly bickering over having a baby. [Star]
• Roger Federer married longtime girlfriend Miroslava "Mirka" Vavrinec in Switzerland on Saturday. [People]
• Suri Cruise is about to start a five-day-a-week "Scientology training" program, which is like a pre-school for devotees of the cult. [DM]
• Are Tyra Banks' cattle-call ANTM castings just publicity stunts, since she chooses most contestants through "private tryouts" anyway? [R&M]
• The New Jersey woman accused of having an affair with Bruce Springsteen says any rumors about her and Bruce are "baseless." [People]
• Eminem is supposedly upset with Amy Winehouse for turning down his offer to do a duet on his upcoming album. [Sun]
• Spike Lee is getting paid "six figures" to let Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant film scenes for their new movie in his UES townhouse. [R&M]
• Pamela Anderson may be getting ready to marry her scuba-diver boyfriend, Jamie Padgett. [Sun]
• Billy Bob Thornton's band canceled the rest of its Canadian tour after getting booed at a concert Thursday night. [NYDN]
• Justin Timberlake says he's planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity this fall. [DE]